Ministers: Beijing behind cyber hack on 40 million voters
CHINA will today be blamed by the Government for a massive cyberattack that accessed 40million voters’ personal details.
Ministers are expected to accuse spies under orders from Beijing of hacking into the databases and emails of the Electoral Commission.
The watchdog admitted last August that ‘hostile actors’ had broken into its systems as far back as 2021 but a culprit was not identified at the time.
Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden is also expected to tell the Commons today that dozens of politicians have been targeted by Chinese hackers attempting to undermine British democracy.
His statement is thought to be the first time the UK has publicly attributed major cyber espionage to Beijing.
In a further ramping up of diplomatic tensions between the two countries, the Foreign Office is expected to impose sanctions on individuals suspected of being behind the attacks.
Also today, Parliament’s director of security Alison Giles will reveal to critics of Beijing the details of attempts to hack their devices and emails.
After their briefing from her, Tory ex-leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, fellow Tory MP Tim Loughton, crossbench peer Lord Alton and the SNP’s Stewart McDonald – all members of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) – are due to tell of their fears at a press conference.
They have already received intelligence in recent days from the Defending Democracy task force, led by security minister Tom Tugendhat, which monitors foreign interference in Britain’s elections and politics.
Ex-minister Mr Loughton – one of five MPs sanctioned by China in 2021 – said yesterday: ‘ We have been subject to all sorts of problems from the Chinese authorities, as well as being banned from visiting or having any business interests in China.
‘This is about the way China tries to influence beyond its borders. I’m glad the Government is at last taking this very seriously.’
IPAC executive director Luke de Pulford said attribution of the cyberattacks to China by a minister was ‘very rare and a big diplomatic deal’.
He added: ‘ IPAC members in France and Belgium have had Beijing- sponsored attacks confirmed by their foreign ministries. Hopefully this marks the end of the UK’s Stockholm Syndrome [where victims empathise with abusers] around China, our biggest security threat.’
Commons foreign affairs committee chairman Alicia Kearns has also revealed Chinese cyberattacks on her emails. ‘The threat is real, they are trying to undermine our democracy,’ she said.
‘If we do not have a public strategy on which the whole country can unite, we will have gaps in our resilience and that will leave us vulnerable.’
Rishi Sunak confronted Chinese premier Li Qiang at the G20 summit in India last year after a Westminster researcher was held on suspicion of spying for Beijing.
In 2021, Britain targeted four
‘Gaps in our resilience’
Chinese officials and a security body in Xinjiang with sanctions in a protest over treatment of Uyghurs and other minorities.
Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron has faced questions over business interests in China and his promotion of a ‘golden era’ with the country when he was in No 10. He is due to address 1922 Committee of Tory MPs on the new security update this week.